[EmpireWF]

Here we are just three nights away from kicking off the 2007 MLB regular season. Are the Mets as good as last year? Are the Phillies the real team in the east? Can Pujols and Carpenter lead the Cardinals by themselves? Will the Cubs increase in payroll mean anything? And is Los Angeles the class of the west?

Use this thread to make your predictions for the NL. Here are mine:

NL East
1. Mets (90-94 wins)
2. Phillies (87-90 wins) ** Wild Card Team
3. Braves (77-84 wins)
4. Marlins (70-76 wins)
5. Nationals (60-65 wins)

NL Central
1. Cardinals (80-85 wins)
2. Cubs (82-84 wins)
3. Brewers (78-81 wins)
4. Pirates (70-75 wins)
5. Reds (69-74 wins)
6. Astros (65-70 wins)

NL West
1. Dodgers (90-96 wins)
2. Diamondbacks (84-88 wins)...my sleeper team
3. Padres (82-85 wins)
4. Giants (80-84 wins)
5. Rockies (74-78 wins)

Playoff Predictions
Phillies over Dodgers in 5 games
Mets over Cardinals in 4 games (sweet revenge )

Mets over Phillies in an intense 7 game series which means we'll have a rematch of the 1986 World Series as the Boston Red Sox meet the New York Mets. Of course home field advantage will be determined by the All-Star Game .

[MJHMarc]

I like your predictions regarding the Dodgers.

But, do you really think the D-Backs will do that well this season? They've been silent for the last few...

[Lefty Noob]

Well, I could be wrong, but I see it more like this:

NL East
1. Braves
2. Mets -- Wild Card
3. Phillies -- Most Overrated
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central
1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Brewers
4. Reds
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Diamondbacks
3. Giants
4. Padres
5. Rockies

I just don't see the Phillies pitching being good enough to get them into the playoffs.

[azrael492]

NL East
1. Phillies
2. Mets
3. Braves
4. Marlins
5. Nationals (maybe the worst ever)

I think the Phillies are good enough to win this division. The Mets may make me look foolish if they hang around until they get Pedro back

NL Central
1. Cards
2. Astros
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Cubs
6. Pirates

I see the Cards and Astros battling it out again for the title, and I am tired of seeing this. I picked the Reds 3rd because I an a homer and I don't think the others are much better then they are. The Brewers are very young, and the Pirates are the Pirates. As long as the Cubs are starting Marquis, they will not win anything.

NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Dbacks
4. Padres
5. Rockies

I am a Dodger hater from way back, but I think they are the class of the West.

[EmpireWF]

Originally Posted by azrael492

NL Central
1. Cards
2. Astros
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Cubs
6. Pirates

I see the Cards and Astros battling it out again for the title, and I am tired of seeing this. I picked the Reds 3rd because I an a homer and I don't think the others are much better then they are. The Brewers are very young, and the Pirates are the Pirates. As long as the Cubs are starting Marquis, they will not win anything.

I'm surprised you have the Astros so high. I could see the Brewers being that bad if Ben Sheets get hurt and the young players don't play well. The Cubs, I don't see them going to the playoffs but I don't think they'll be that bad.

[azrael492]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

I'm surprised you have the Astros so high. I could see the Brewers being that bad if Ben Sheets get hurt and the young players don't play well. The Cubs, I don't see them going to the playoffs but I don't think they'll be that bad.

I just don't think their pitching is even close to being a winner. Zambrano is a stud and will probably win 17-20 games. Lilly may get 10-15. After that, they will struggle. Their bullpen does not impress me either,and I know bad bullpens. Did you see what the Reds used last season? I just have a bad feeling about them this year.

I may be overrating the Astros a little, but they always seem to be there in the end. It is hard for me to go against them.

[MJHMarc]

Originally Posted by Azrael

NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Dbacks
4. Padres
5. Rockies

I am a Dodger hater from way back, but I think they are the class of the West.

I'm glad to see that you have come to your senses. Why do you hate the Dodgers?

[ThePundit]

I don't see what everybody's fasination is with the Cardinals, this season. Except for Carpenter, their entire starting rotation has turned over and have all sorts of problems in the pen.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

I don't see what everybody's fasination is with the Cardinals, this season. Except for Carpenter, their entire starting rotation has turned over and have all sorts of problems in the pen.

Not so much a love fest for them on my part as a "if not them, who?" quandry. No other team in the division, except maybe the Cubs if their pitching is better than expected or the Brewers if the young guys can produce consistantly, has a shot. Weak division.

[azrael492]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

I'm glad to see that you have come to your senses. Why do you hate the Dodgers?

They used to be in the same division as the Reds when for some unknown reason they were in the NL West.

That, and I always hated LaSorda, Garvey, Valenzuela, and Gibson

[ThePundit]

What about the Brew Crew? From top to bottom, they have the best rotation in the division.

B. Sheets
C. Capuano
D. Bush
J. Suppan
C. Vargas
C. Villanueva

[EmpireWF]

I may have picked the Reds to do lousy this year but if their pitching fufills their potential, and the offense stays healthy they could compete. I just don't see that happening though.

[azrael492]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

I may have picked the Reds to do lousy this year but if their pitching fufills their potential, and the offense stays healthy they could compete. I just don't see that happening though.

Their pitching is going to be pretty good. Harang and Arroyo are going to be 1 and 2. Arroyo had a really good spring. He went 4 starts I think before he gave up a run. Lohse is looking good too. All they have to do is find a way to get rid of Milton. He is terrible. They have 2 pitchers, Belisle and Livingston, who have pitched very strong this spring. They have a 2.08 and 1.23 Era. Livingston for sent down because they had to make room for Milton and his 5.0+ ERA

Their offense is going to be their downfall. They will not be able to score runs to help the pitchers. Krivsky gave up too much to get their 2 DL pitchers.

[MJHMarc]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

I may have picked the Reds to do lousy this year but if their pitching fufills their potential, and the offense stays healthy they could compete. I just don't see that happening though.

I'm still troubled why they moved Freel to CF and Griffey to left.

[ThePundit]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

I'm still troubled why they moved Freel to CF and Griffey to left.

Didn't the move Griffey to right? And why would that trouble you? The manager obviously thinks the defense is better with Freel in center.